Agitating type stock feeder



J'. JINDRICH AGITATING TYPE STOCK FEEDER June 2, 1953 Filed June 22,1951 ATTORNEYS.

June 2, 1953 J. JlNDRlcH AGITATING TYPE sTocx FEEDER Filed June 22, 19512 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ./oJE/DH .JM/oefen;

' ATTORNEYS- Patentec `lune 2, 1953 UNITED S TATES PATENT EF1-FICEAGITATING TLYPE STOCK vFEEDER Flosephfzlindrich, Marengo, )iowaApplication June 22, 1951, SerialNo...232;941

ZlfClaims. l

.This invention relates to stock feeders 'and more ,particularly to anautomatic feeder fior feeding rhogs.

"It is among the objects of .the 'invention lto provide .an improvedv'h'ogieeder which will store a .quantity of 'feed and dispense 'thefeed gas -it is consumed over a .period of `time, preferably o'f severaldays duration; which 'has 'a cast concrete baseproviding leakprooffeedtroughs and a durable construction which will not 4rotand will not "bedamaged bythe hogs/using the `feeder; which maintains'the stored feedinafdry'and readily dispensablecondition; which can be-easily .moved"from place yto 'place; which "can `be easily lled "from a `wagon-ortruc-k; and which is;simple and durable in construction, economicaltomanufacturefand effective 'to maintain -a supply'of feed 'available at`all jtimes and prevent'iwaste *and contaminationof the feed.

Other objects and advantages will becomeapparent 'from a' considerationof :the followingf description .andthe 'appended `claims in conjunctionwith the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

'Figure "l is-aside elevational view of yahog feeder *illustrativepf ithe invention;

'Figure v3 `is a 'transverse Ucross Y sectional view on the line 3 3 ofFigure 1; and

'Figure 4 is -a k'fragmentary perspective View of "a .past concrete baseof `the -fE-eeder.

`-With vcontinued reference to the .drawings the 'feeder ilias a :flat`cast `concrete ibase, -genlerally Yindicated at Hl, of `'rectangularLshapeand havin'gaflatbottom"surface I I side walls f F2 Cand I'3extending onealong each longitudinal `edge thereof V`and rprojectingVupwardly therefrom, i end walls *I4 and llextendingfone alongfeaehvendedge thereof-rand extending upwardly-therefrom materially :above '--theupper y edges v"of fsaid .side wall -and-a f central ridge t6 rextendingibetween said 'i end walls i substantially `.parallel Lto :said-sidewalls :and spaced .-wsubstantially equal :distances from :the latter.

flhezinnerI/sides of 1 the sidewalls I'2f1and: t3 fare downwardly andinwardly. inclined and bothssides of the central zr-idge Ifare inclined:downwardly toward ..the :adjacent :.-si'd'e i'walls @to :providebetween .the :side :walls tan-d the central :ridge :va pair :of feedtroughs I and I=8 zdisposediintside by side relationship rto 'each other:and f one iat eachlsideziof thepentralgridge: t6. -Ihe :basel I0beingformedflo'f castfconcretetthe troughs areleakproot-andthelbase willnotirot or be ideter-ioratedvby weather' conditions and-cannot beIdamaged by theffeeding hogs.

The outer surfaces -Qf'ithe end walls ofthe base are upwardly yandoutwardly inclined Vfreni the -fiat `bottom wall "II, 'as indicated -atI@ Aand 20, =to `provide a Asled runner V`effect at each V'end of Lthe-base and towing `eyes2 I and f 22 -are -partially Yembedded v'in `Jthe`base and project outwardlyV therefrom, one atithe mid-length locationofl eaehendof the base -andnearthe vupper edges of the inclined portionsI 9 fand 20.

With this arrangement, ithe feeder can be moved from .place lto `placeby thooking it to la farm ftractor lor other suitable towing `vehiclebyfconnecting 'one of theitowingeyes! to fthe A.towing vehicle.

receptacle, generally indicated .at 225,--of ree.- tangular shape, iszmounte'd -on fthe base Il=and comprises .a :pair fof end iframes, reachiincluding a sill 126- disposed. on the top surface yof ,thecorresponding base end wallflll or tandssecuredato the A base 1 bysuitable fmeans, fsuch. as the i bolts :El embedded inl thecorresponding-base endwall. and extending through .1 aI bolt hole 1in:the sill.

Cornerfposta as indicated `at 28,129,130 iand l in Figure '3, haveftheir-Blower1e11ds :resting upon the end frame sills, sonegatf. eachend 'of eachzfsill andiextending; upwardlyffrom thesillfsbstarrtially:perpendicular zthereto.

Center eposts, .as :indicated at 2:32 and f3-3, are disposed one in eachendf-framepffthereceptacle and veach reenter i post -rests aat its lower:end on the.correspondingasilleandzextends upwardymdway 'between andsubstantially parallel 1.to .the corresponding cornertpost. E-lates,.as.indicated ats13 4;. andf3-,5L- mi Figureerconnect the end @framesatathe upper endsithereof and 'are disposedA above andtsubstantially:parallel to-@thegbasegside fw-alls I2 :and a I 3;.respeetively.Themlate Y341 :rests ati one vend .gon the i:upper:errdl of the corner Lpost :2 9 and at; its ethenend-nQ-the upper end of vthe corner post3I,Whiletheplatef rests at-z one end-on the-,upper end v(ofthecornerpostand .atits otherend ontheupper. end of the.cornerpost .3..

i Rafters, as indicated.. at ..36 and Ai3 l in. -Eigurepa have theirlower ends seated `,on .the .plates 3d and'35 andtheir upper endsabutting above and midway between the K plates, the end pairs ofrafters. resting -'atl their upper ends on-the center p0sts32 andSS-'of`the endframes. Siding structures, as 'indicated "at "w38 and 39Avcomplete "the end structures of the receptacleand-comprise -a `sidingvboard nailed to Jthe outer -side :of --the corner'an-d"centeryposts andfthe endlpairs fof rafters constituting' the two end frames ofl thereceptacle.

Siding structures 4Ilande'lllcover theesidesffo'f the receptacle i andcomprise -siding boards #se- 3 cured at their ends to the outer sides ofthe corner posts of the end frames of the receptacle. These sidingstructures are reinforced by studs, as indicated at 42 and 43, securedto the inner sides of the siding structures 48 and 4I midway between thecorresponding corner posts.

A roof structure is mounted on the rafters and comprises two portions 44and 45 inclined downwardly and outwardly from the mid-width loca.- tionof the receptacle to locations spaced outwardly of the plates 34 and 35,as is clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The roof portion 45 is providedwith a rectangular opening 41 therein to provide a. filler opening forthe receptacle and this opening is covered by a hinge hatch 48 which canbe manually raised when it is desired to replenish the feed supply inthe receptacle.

A pair of beams 50 and 5I extend longitudinally of the receptacle inspaced Iapart and substantially parallel relationship to each otherlabove the center ridge i6 of the base I0. These beams are spacedsubstantially equal distances from the mid-width location of thereceptacle and have their upper surfaces disposed against the undersurfaces o the end frame sills of the receptacle. The end walls i4 andI5 of the base are provided with recesses, as indicated at 52 and 53 forthe end wall i4, and 54 and 55 for the end wall I5, which open to theupper edges of the end walls at substantially `equal distances from themid-length locations of the end walls and receive the ends o-f the beams50 and 5I to firmly support these beams in the structure. Each of thebeams i! and 5l is rabbeted out along its lower, outer edge to providegrooves of inverted L shape and reinforcing joists 5B and 51 have theirupper edges received in these grooves yand depend from the beams 5i) and5l respectively, the lower edges of these joists being spaced laterallyfrom and slightly above the topl surface of the central ridge I6 of thebase.

Floor portions 58 and 59 are disposed in the lower portion `of thereceptacle and are inclined upwardly and outwardly from the upper inneredges of the beams 50 and 5I respectively, to the side wall structures40 and 4I of the receptacle at locations spaced above the end wallsills, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

The fioor portions comprise inclined joists, as

indicated at 60 and 6I in Figure 2, extending from the beams 58 and 5Iupwardly and outwardly toward the side wall structures. 4I) and 4I ofthe receptacle, there being one floor joist at each end of each bea-mand one adjacent the mid-length location of each beam, and floor boards62 secured on the upper surfaces of the floor joists and extendinglongitudinally of the receptacle from one end wall structure to theother end wall structure thereof. At their lower, inner edges the floorportions are spaced apart to provide a dispensing slot 63 through whichfeed falls from the space within the receptacle above the inclined oorportion downwardly toward the feed troughs I1 and I8.

A wooden cap member or plate 64 is mounted on the upper surface of thecentral ridge I6 of the base and secured to the central ridge bysuitable means, such as the bolts 65 embedded in the central ridge andextending through bolt holes in the plate. It will be noted that themembers 56 and 51 are spaced at their lower edges substantially equaldistances laterally from the adjacent sides of the plate B4.

Agitating levers, as indicated at 61 to 12 in- 4 elusive in Figure 3,are pivotaliy mounted on the beams 50 and 5I and the plate 54.

As is particularly illustrated in Figure 2 for the levers 59 and 12,suitable lugs or washers 13 and 14 are mounted on the upper surfaces ofthe beams 50 and 5I and project inwardly from the inner sides of thesebeams and suitable bearing sleeves or staples, as indicated at 15 and16, are mounted on the cap or plate 64, one at each side of the latter.The lever 69 has a substantially straight intermediate portion 11 whichextends through and is journaled in the lug 13 and the bearing sleeve15, this portion of the lever being disposed substantially perpendicularto the plate 69 and the beam 5i) and against the inner side of the sill.The lower end portion 18 of the lever 69 extends from the bearing sleeve15 away from the plate 54 transversely of the upper side of the feedingtrough I1 and is provided with a terminal ring or loop 19. v

At its upper end the lever 69 is provided with fa crowfoot structure 88adjacent the upper surface of the floor portion 58 and a chain 8| isconnected at one end to the end of the central prong of the crowfootstructure 8B. At its other end the chain is connected by a pin or hook82 to the floor portion 58 adjacent the upper, outer edge of the doorportion.

The lever 12 has la. lower end portion 83 extending outwardly from theplate 64 transversely of the upper side of the feed trough .I8 andterminating in a ring or loop 84 and has its its upper end a crowfootstructure 85, the central prong of which is connected at its end to oneend of a chain 86, the other end of the chain being connected by a hookor pin 81 to the oo-r portion 59 near the upper, outer edge of this oorportion.

With this arrangement, when the terminal rings or loops of the agitatinglevers are stuck and moved by the feeding hogs, the crowfoot structuresof the levers are moved relative to the upper sides of the correspondingfloor structures and the chains connected to these crowfoot structuresare also moved causing the feed in the hopper above the oor portions tofeed downwardly through the feed slot B3 and between the vane members 56and 51 and the cap 64 into the feed troughs I1 and I8.

The agitating levers are arranged in pairs spaced apart substantiallyequal distances longitudinally of the plate 64 with the two levers ofeach pair disposed at respectively opposite sides of the plate and withtheir center lines substantially in a plane perpendicular to thelongitudinal center line of the plate. This provides for substantiallyuniform dispensing of the feed throughout the length of the dispensingslot 63 as hogs feed from the troughs I1 and I8.

The particular formation and operating characteristics of the agitatinglevers or members are believed worthy of special note. As will be notedfrom Figure 2, I have formed each of said levers or memberssubstantially to an L shape, the lower end portions 18, 83 constitutinghorizontally extended legs that are integral with and project radiallyof the lower ends of the straight, vertically disposed, intermediateportions of the members. Said vertical legs, as will be seen, aremounted upon the beams 58, 5I and the plate 64 for axial rotation on avertical axis.

In this connection, the crow foot structure of each agitating member isrigid with the upper end of the vertical leg of the member and includesa plurality of agitating fingers each of which is oblique to thel axisof rotation of the verticali' ieg 'of l-tlie iagitating member.' "sev-leral fingers -of :each Vcrow s foot .'Jstrncture ldiverge outwardly from:said vertical lleg, and (at itheir convergent, inner ends meel-,fatthexaxisfrif :the vertical deg.

By :reason: of ithis arrangementait lvvillbefseen that-whenthenfeedingfhogsvswingthe horizontal legs of the agitatingmemberstonight :or:.left withini'the feedltroughsjthefouteriends offsaidhorizontal llegs '-will be-caused to lia'avel through arcuate :paths.about :the :axis :of :rota-tion dif theverlcalflegsofithe-agitatingnnembers. flhewen tical 1 legs K.will lthusl tbe 1 rotatablyzmoved, iand eas fa result, "the `:outer 'ends :of :the:several inngcrs Aof the crow foot 'structures will falso be scaused totravel 'through arcuate paths within 'the :supply of ff'eed .contained:in rthe :shopper above tithe '.dispensingrslot.

'Ihe inclined pla-nefofrzeach fioorpolition -58lor 59 is`r tangentialtoethei arcuatespath idescribedlby atleast thatfngerofrthefcrowfootstructure associated with said floorportion'andaoonnected tothelowerend `o'f'tlelilexilzlle agitatingelement 8| or 86. As a result, when the linger connected to Ltlieilovverfend .ofi the f flexible elem-ent :swings through its arcuatepath --away from -the floor portion, it tends not only to shift thelower end of theilexible element laterally, but alsoout- Wavrdly awayfromthe floorportion into' thesupply of'-feed"supporte'dontleend?'floor` portion. The flexible element 'is thus continuallybeing alternately "tightened "and slackened' while being moved "fromside to -side attits flower endwithin the ffee'd. 'This Maction,'incooperation "with the several fingers of the crow foot structure thatare moving through arcuate paths within the feed supply immediatelyadjacent the dispensing slot, is considered effective in promotingeficient agitation and dispensing of the feed.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed is:

1. A hog feeder comprising: a base having side by side feed troughsseparated by a center ridge; a hopper above the base having downwardlyconverging fioor portions spaced apart at their convergent lower edgesto denne a dispensing slot extending parallel to and spaced verticallyof the center ridge; a series of agitating members each of which isformed substantially to an L shape and is provided with a vertical legextending between and rotatably mounted at its upper and lower ends uponthe lower edge of a floor portion and t-he center ridge respectively, ahorizontal leg rigid with and extending radially from the lower end ofthe vertical leg into the feed trough to impart rotatable movement tothe vertical leg responsive to swinging of the horizontal leg by a hogfeeding from the trough, and a finger rigid at one end with andextending obliquely from the upper end of the vertical leg within thehopper so as to describe an arcuate path at its other end within aquantity of feed contained in the hopper on rotatable movement of thevertical leg; and a spectiv agitatng :merrxbena each 'flexibie tele;mentrbeingianchored alt-zone enditotanocrtpon tion aand :being.connected Cat its @other `vend ito ia finger, Vfor 'alternatetightening @and slaclce'ning of .the element withinfsaid rqua'ntity :offreed isimultaneouszwithlmcvement ofrsaid otheriendof the elementaway'from and tovvardits associated door .porticn.-

2. A hog feeder comprising: abaselhavin'gside byrsidereeditroughsisepaiatedfbyiarcenterridge;

.anopper abovetherbasenaving downwardlyconvergingfloorlportonsfspacediapartrat-theirfcon# vergeht 'lOWlvve'd'gfls Cto 'dflne-'a dispensing fils'lt extendingfparallelitoandisp' edvertically of the reenter lridge; :a Sseries idf, git-atingmembers -of which lis formed :substantially to :fen il.shapeff'and:isiprcvidediwith 'aiverticallleg i atendlg btwenaldi'ftaflyflrilliledi attsl' Lipper and @lower ends upon'the loweriedgeof'fa door portionianditlie*center-1ndgeirespectively,'alborivzontal iegrigid 'vvilth fand :extending radially from thel'lower l'end @of @they"ver-tical ileg'into the reed itrou'gh to :impart rotatable movementAVAto the "vertical leg 'lresponsive Cto -swingi'ng fof thehorizontalilegby .afhogzifeeuingifromlthe-treugh, and aringen-rigidfatroneiendiwithr-anvextending obliquely fromth'eupperlendi-of the vertical ieg within tlflefl-iopfperiso` sitodescribei-aniarcuate pathfatitsfotherfnd' ithin la quantity-'of feedcontained in',tlieihopperzena-tatable'fmovement of the ivertical leg;and aseries fo'f @flexible elenien-ts associated with the fiespeotiveLfag'fitating members, each ixble element lo'ng fanohored t one end LtoCa lo'o'r poftih fah'd being footinected at its other end to a finger,for alternate tightening and slackening of the element within saidquantity of feed simultaneous with movement of said other end of theelement away from and toward its associated floor portion, each of saidelements comprising a single length of material of highly flexiblecharacteristics extending downwardly within its associated floor portionfor substantially the full distance between the upper and lower edges ofthe floor portion.

3. A hog feeder comprising: a base having side by side feed troughsseparated by a center ridge; a hopper above the base having downwardlyconverging floor portions spaced apart at their convergent lower edgesto define a dispensing slot extending parallel to and spaced verticallyof the center ridge; a series of agitating members each of which isformed substantially to an L shape and is provided with a vertical legextending between and rotatably mounted at its upper and lower ends uponthe lower edge of a floor portion and the center ridge respectively, ahorizontal leg rigid with and extending radially from the lower end ofthe vertical leg into the feed trough to impart rotatable movement tothe vertical leg responsive to swinging of the horizontal leg by a hogfeeding from the the trough, and a finger rigid at one end with andextending obliquely from the upper end of the vertical leg within thehopper so as to describe an arcuate path at its other end within aquantity of feed contained in the hopper on rotatable movement of thevertical leg; and a series of flexible elements associated with therespective agitating members, each flexible element being anchored atone end to a floor portion and being connected at its other end to afinger, for alternate tightening and slackening of the element withinsaid quantity of feed simultaneous with movement of said ,series offlexible elements associated with the reother end 0f the element awayfrom and toward its associated floor portion, each of said elementscomprising a single length of material of highly flexiblecharacteristics extending downwardly Within its associated floor portionfor substantially the full distance between the upper and lower edges ofthe oor portion, the plane of each oor portion being tangential to thearcuate paths described within the hopper by the fingers associatedtherewith.

4. A hog feeder comprising: a base having side by side feed troughsseparated by a center ridge; a hopper above the base having downwardlyconverging oor portions spaced apart at their convergent lower edges todefine a dispensing slot extending parallel to and spaced vertically ofthe center ridge; a series of agitating members each of which is formedsubstantially to an L shape and is provided with a vertical legextending between and rotatably mounted at its upper and lower ends uponthe lower edge of a oor portion and the center ridge respectively, ahorizontal leg rigid with and extending radially from the lower end ofthe vertical leg into the feed trough to impart rotatable movement tothe vertical leg responsive to swinging of the horizontal leg by a hogfeeding from the trough, and a crow foot structure disposed in thehopper at the upper end of each vertical leg, each crow foot structureincluding a plurality of fingers diverging outwardly from and havinginner ends rigid with the upper end of their associated vertical leg,said fingers of each crow foot. structure extending obliquely from theupper end of the vertical leg to which they are secured, so as todescribe arcuate paths at their outer ends within a quantity of feedcontained in the hopper on rotatable movement of said vertical leg; anda series of exible elements associated with the respective agitatingmembers,.each exible element being anchored at one end to a oor portionand being connected at its other end to the outer end of one of saidngers, for alternate tightening and slackening of the element withinsaid quantity of feed simultaneous with movement of said other end ofthe element away from and toward its associated floor portion, each ofsaid elements comprising a single length of material of highly exiblecharacteristics extending downwardly within the hopper along the surfaceof its associated floor portion for substantially the full distancebetween the upper and lower edges of the iioor portion, the plane ofeach floor portion being tangential to the arcuate paths describedwithin the hopper by those ngers connected to the exible elements.

JOSEPH JINDRICH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,346,027 Hiner et al` July 6, 1920 1,469,129 Westerman Sept.25, 1923 1,719,245 Smidley July 2, 1929 1,805,902 Biel May 19, 19312,363,212 Wagner Nov. 21, 1944 2,408,477 Payne Oct. 1, 1946

